AMHERST – George Mason forward Erik Copes was a complete non-factor when the Patriots first clashed with the University of Massachusetts basketball team back in January.

In fact, the 6-foot-8, 250-pound junior big man had been something of an afterthought throughout much of the first half of the season. In 17 games played, Copes was averaging just 3.6 points and 4.4 rebounds.

Copes scored 12 points, pulled down 15 rebounds and blocked four shots in 31 minutes – all season highs. He thoroughly outperformed his more name-brand counterpart, junior center Cady Lalanne, and helped George Mason control the lane throughout the night.

Coach Derek Kellogg didn't hold back in his evaluation of the struggles Lalanne – who finished with a deceivingly strong 11-point, 10-rebound and four-block stat line that was padded late in the game – had containing Copes.

"I thought (Copes) outplayed him. It was pretty evident with how he got post position and scored and how he was rebounding the ball," he said. "(Copes) played with a really good sense of urgency and I thought he was a rock inside. I thought we got beat at that position."

CHAZ DINGED UP: Chaz Williams played 31 minutes, but was absent for an extended stretch in the second half as the Minutemen struggled to keep pace with George Mason.

After the game, Kellogg confirmed suspicions that the senior point guard's troubles were in part injury-related, saying Williams had an issue with his hip.

"I didn't think he played his best game, but he's got a few nagging injuries that we've got to get looked at just to make sure he's healthy for this final stretch run," he said.

Williams wasn't especially effective even when available, finishing with just eight points in an ugly 3-for-15 shooting performance (1-for-8 on 3-pointers). But his absence all but assured that UMass wouldn't be in contention for yet another thrilling comeback.

RECIPE FOR DEFEAT: Kellogg pointed to a number of familiar issues when asked to break down exactly went wrong for UMass.

"You can pile missing 1-footers, missing 3s and missing free throws with not coming up with enough 50-50 (loose) balls and that's a recipe that we've had when we've lost games this year," he said.

The Minutemen missed most of those 3-pointers in the second half, when they shot just 2 for 10 from beyond the arc. While often buried in the box score when the team wins, growing free-throw woes have plagued UMass. The team shot 63.3 percent Wednesday, and is making 67.6 percent on the year.

Kellogg acknowledged that the team doesn't have long to get things righted.

"We have a game Saturday, so the cleaning up is going to have to be kind of quick," he said. "I've said it all along – when we come with high intensity and energy, it seems like the ball goes in more, we make free throws and play a little better. When we're not forcing turnovers and playing with that kind of intensity, we're just another team, we're like everybody else.

"That's the key to us being good and playing as a unit."

IHEDIGBO APPEARANCE: In town for the game, former UMass and Amherst Regional High School football player James Ihedigbo addressed the Mullins Center crowd from center court before the opening tip-off.

Ihedigbo played for the Minutemen from 2003-06 before signing as an undrafted rookie with the New York Jets in 2007. He later spent time with the New England Patriots before playing the past two seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, whom he helped win Super Bowl XLVII.